119-hr1978

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1978 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1978

 To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to treat 
 obesity as a disease and reduce the prevalence of obesity in certain 
 Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 10, 2025

 Mr. Buchanan (for himself and Ms. Moore of Wisconsin) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy to treat 
 obesity as a disease and reduce the prevalence of obesity in certain 
 Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. COMBATING OBESITY IN CERTAIN ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Strategy and Educational Campaign.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall--
        (A) develop a strategy to align the obesity-related 
 programs of the Department of Defense with the 
 classification of obesity as a medically accepted 
 disease; and
        (B) conduct an educational campaign to promote 
 awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of obesity as a 
 disease in the covered Armed Forces.

    (2) Requirements for strategy.--The strategy developed 
 under paragraph

    (1)
        (A) shall include the following:
        (A) A plan to coordinate obesity-related programs 
 across the Department of Defense to treat obesity as a 
 disease and reduce the prevalence of obesity in the 
 covered Armed Forces.
        (B) An assessment of the effectiveness of health 
 programs of the Department of Defense that are intended 
 to educate, prevent, or treat obesity among members of 
 the covered Armed Forces, and a plan to modify or 
 update such programs to treat obesity as a disease.
            (C) An assessment of the adequacy of nutrition 
 education for physicians and other health care 
 practitioners in the military health system to evaluate 
 and treat obesity as a disease, including the need for 
 any additional education or guidelines for such 
 physicians and other health care practitioners.
            (D) A strategy to work toward members of the 
 covered Armed Forces with obesity receiving appropriate 
 treatment.

    (3) Requirements for educational campaign.--The educational 
 campaign conducted under paragraph

    (1)
        (B) shall include the 
 following:
        (A) Information to educate members of the covered 
 Armed Forces regarding best practices to prevent, 
 reduce, or mitigate obesity, and available resources to 
 address the root causes of obesity.
        (B) Information targeted to physicians and other 
 health care practitioners in the military health system 
 to promote diagnosis and treatment of obesity as a 
 disease.

    (4) Consultation.--In developing the strategy and 
 educational campaign required by paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary 
 of Defense shall consult with the Secretary of Health and Human 
 Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for 
 Medicare & Medicaid Services, and other agencies of the 
 Department of Health and Human Services, as determined 
 appropriate by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

    (b) Inclusion of Information Regarding Unmet Weight Standards in 
Certain Reports.--Beginning not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall include 
information regarding unmet weight standards in any report submitted by 
the Secretary to Congress regarding disqualifications for enlistment 
in, disability incurred in, or medical discharges from, the covered 
Armed Forces.
            (c) Additional Department of Defense Reports.--

    (1) Effects of obesity on readiness of covered armed 
 forces.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in 
 consultation with the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare 
 & Medicaid Services, shall submit to the appropriate 
 congressional committees a report regarding the effects of 
 obesity on the readiness of the covered Armed Forces. Such 
 report shall include legislative recommendations of the 
 Secretary to address such effects.

    (2) Effectiveness of obesity, food, and nutrition-related 
 programs of department of defense.--Not later than one year 
 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
 thereafter, the Director of the Defense Health Agency shall 
 submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
 the effectiveness of the obesity, food, and nutrition-related 
 programs of the Department of Defense in reducing obesity and 
 improving military readiness.
            (d) GAO Report.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
 United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
 committees a report analyzing the existing obesity, food, and 
 nutrition-related programs of the Department of Defense.

    (2) Requirements.--The report required by paragraph

    (1) shall include the following:
        (A) An assessment of programs directed to members 
 of the covered Armed Forces.
        (B) An assessment of programs directed to health 
 care providers in the military health system.
            (C) An assessment of the effectiveness of such 
 programs in reducing obesity and the impact of obesity 
 on military readiness.
            (D) Recommendations to coordinate and improve 
 existing programs to reduce obesity and the impact of 
 obesity on military readiness.

    (e) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means 
 the following:
        (A) The Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
 Representatives.
        (B) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House 
 of Representatives.
            (C) The Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
 Representatives.
            (D) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
 House of Representatives.
        (E) The Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
        (F) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 Senate.
        (G) The Committee on Finance of the Senate.
        (H) The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
 Pensions of the Senate.

    (2) The term ``covered Armed Force'' means the Army, Navy, 
 Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force.
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